Means for controlling the spread of wheels of railway or tramway vehicles.



No. 825.834. PATENTED JULY'IO, 1906.

J. G. HINTON.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SPREAD OP WHEELS 0F RAILWAY 0R TRAMWAYVEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 8311,26, 1904.

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No. 825,834. PATENTED'JULY 10, 1906.

J. c. HINTON. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SPREAD 0E WHEELS 0F RAILWAY 0RTRAMWAY VEHICLES.

APPLICATION IILBD SEPT.26,1904.

ha 0 Q Fig 3 I'HE NORRIS PETERS C0,, WASHINGTON. l1 c4 No. 825,834.PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

Y J. C. HINTON, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE'SPREAD O-F WHEELS 0F RAILWAY0R TRAMWAY VEHICLES.

YAPPLIIOATION nun) SEPT.26,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 825 884. PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

J. G. HINTON. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SPREAD OF WHEELS 0F RAILWAY ORTRAMWA Y'VE'H'IOLES.

APPLICATION FILED 8321226, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES CHARLES HINTON, OF ARNCLIFFE, NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOROF ON E-FOURTH TO DONALD CORMACK, OF BEXLEY, NEW SOUTH \VALES,AUSTRALIA.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SPREAD OF WHEELS OF RAILWAY OR TRAMWAYVEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed September 25. 904. Serial No. 226,046.

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Be it known that I, JAMES CHARLES HIN- TON, railway-car builder, acitizen of the Commonwealth of Australia, residing at ickham street,Arncliffe, in the State of New South. ales, Commonwealth of Australia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forControlling the Spread of heels of Railway or Tramway Vehicles and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway rollingstock having the individualwheels of each pair of wheels on a separate axle extending to the middleof the car, each wheel and its axle being adjustable laterally of thetruck to vary the spread of the wheels, thereby adapting the cars andother-rolling-stock to railways of different gages.

The chief object of this invention is to provide satisfactory means forautomatically and reliably adjusting the wheels outward and inward andto lock them in either position; also, to improve the construction ofthe axle-boxes and proximate parts and the gen eral operation of themechanism.

To these ends the said invention consists in the construction andcombination ofparts hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a truckor bogie frame embodying my invention, illustrating in its right andleft halves, respectively, two different forms, commonly known as theold form and the new form of frame. Fig. 2 represents a side elevationof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the track, having a fixedcam-plate between the rails of greatest height at the center andtapering down to its ends for operating the wheel shifting and lockingdevices. Fig. 4 represents a transverse vertical section of Fig. 3 onthe line m .r. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detail view at right anglesto Fig. 4, showing the cam-plate in elevation and the box-formlocking-piece in vertical section. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detailview, partly in front elevation, partly in vertical transverse section,of the slotted lockingplate, the inner ends of one pair of axles, andcertain proximate devices. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detailperspective view of the locking-piece and slide plates. Fig. 6represents an end elevation of the bogieframe, (old form for bothsides,) showing a pair of wheels, their axles and appurtenances slightlymodified, one of the track-rails and a part of one of the axle-boxesbeing sectioned and the wheels shown in their greatest spread for thewidest gage of track, a modified arrangement of the surface-plates andthe ends of the lower bars being shown. Fig. 7 represents a similar viewshowing the new form of bogie, the wheels being at their least spreadfor a narrow-gage track, no rail being shown and no part sectioned. Fig.7 represents an enlarged detail view of one of the outer axleboxes andproximate devices, slightly modified, partly in elevation, partly invertical sectionlongitudinal of said box. Fig. 8 represents a bottomplan view, partly in central horizontal section, of the devices shown inFig. 5. Fig. 8 represents an enlarged detail side elevation of one ofthe hangers F and proximate devices, the axle and slide-plates withinsaid hanger being cross sectioned. Fig. 9 represents a transversesection of Figs. 5 and 8 on the line a a. Fig. 10 represents a similarview to Fig. 9 on the line b b of Figs. 5 and 8.

A represents the rectangular frame of the old form of bogie, B the frameof the new type, and C the bolster-bed, which is alike in both andsupported, as usual, on springs D. The frame is providedwithlongitudinal inner bars or bearers E, arranged in pairs parallel tothe sides of the frame and rigid therewith. Bracing-bars G are alsofastened to said frame, preferably in the form of a St. Andrews cross,though differing in details, according to the kind of bogie frameemployed. The outer and inner hangers F and H of each inner axle-box Xare attached to one of the said bearers and to the correspond ingbracing bars, respectively, extending down and around the said box atits outer end and inner end, but permitting the outward and inwardmovement of said boxes with their axles and wheels in adjusting thespread of the latter to the tracks of different gages.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 8, each inner axle- ICC said bushing toward ornear the middle of the bogie-frame and overlapping the proximate innerend of the said bushing. Guide-bars B extend across the frame in linewith the said boxes and axles and within the said hangers,

' permitting the said boxes to move freely along them in adjustmentforspread of wheels while held in their proper places. Though the brassor bushing \Vpermits the journal to turn within it, the thrust-collarand the collars V, fitting into grooves of said bushing, as aforesaid,insure the movement of the parts inward and outward as one when thewheels are thus' adjusted.

The usual downwardly-arched lower bar K extends from the housing of oneouter axle, box to the other on each side of the bogieframe, affording asupport (if the old form of frame be used) for spring L, on which reststhe frame A, the ends of said lowerbars being held in place by upperplates 1, fastened in said housings, as illustrated on the right side ofFig. 2, although the relative position of these surface-plates and endsof lower bars may be reversed, if preferred, as shown in Fig. 6. If thenew form of bogie-frame be used, the same plate I, as shown in the leftpart of Fig. 2, affords a base over each axlebox for a frame-supportingspring M in immediate contact with frame B.

Longitudinal inner bars 0, as shown in Fig.

2, extend along the sides of the frame beyond the wheels, each of thesebars dividing, in proximity to each outer axle-box, into two divergingand outwardly-bowed bent bracing-barsP,uniting at each end in the saidbar 0 and receiving one of the outer axle-barsbetween their divergingmiddle parts to brace it above and below, moving inwardly and outwardlytherewith. The corresponding ends of these bars 0 are longitudinallyslotted to receive the protruding ends R of the brake-spindlesBrake-blocks S are attached at their outer sides to the said bars andcarried by said spindles, as shown in Fig. 7, and move in and out withbars 0 along the said spindles. The slots 0 prevent binding during suchmovement and allow for contraction and expansion under changes oftemperature. The ends R of spindles Q protrude far enough to permit theaforesaid adjustment of the said bars for change of spread of the wheelsand are provided with heads which prevent the ends of said bars fromslipping off the said spindles. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the bars Pneed not incline upward in diverging, but may be in parallellongitudinal planes throughout, their ends being integral withverticalparts of bars 0, in these instances made wider for that purpose,or, as

in Fig. 7 the said bars may be bolted to said bars 0 instead of beingintegral therewith. Only one bar P appears in this figure.

The inner axle-boxes X and their bushings W are divided longitudinallyinto two sections, Figs. 9 and 10, said sections being held together bybolts Y, Fig. 9, and pressed toward each other by helical springs Z,which surround said bolts, bearing upward and downward, respectively,against the head and nut of said bolt and operating to force thesections of the axle-box toward each other and hold the sections ofbushing against the journal U between them, taking up the wear of saidbushings without impeding the turning of the axle. Plates B are locatedabove and below the said axle-box sections and connected to them,respectively, by bolts C, arranged in pairs and shown most distinctly inFig. 10, each of said bolts passing through its plate B and thecontiguous section of the axle-box and being provided with a stop-collarE, which sets into a recess in the inner face of said section. Its upperend D enters the opposing section and serves as a guide therefor.Springs F surround said bolts C and fit into recesses of said box,bearing outwardly against the plate B and inwardly against thebox-section. These springs will take up any wear of the bolthead,box-section, or plate. The collar E and the nut of the bolt of coursehold the box-section and plate together. Studs G (dotted lines in Figs.5 and 8) project from each axle-box section into corresponding re cessesor sockets of the proximate plate B, preventing any slip of one of theseparts over or past the other, and thus relieving bolts C from strain andwear.

The inner axle-boxes X and their sliding plates B, suspended by thehangers F and H, as aforesaid, are prevented from rising by the fixedbars H, Figs. 5, 9, and 10, extending across the upper sliding plates.The hangers F are braced and stiffened by tensionrods J, depending fromany convenient partof the bogie-frame, as shown, for example, in Fig. 6.All the hangers F and H of each pair of axles are connected together bya pair of bracingbars I for greater strength, such bars extendinglongitudinally of the said axles. As a means for automatically lockingin either of these positions the wheels and parts adjustable therewithand permitting them to be automatically shifted from either one of saidpositions to the other I suspend a box-shaped locking-piece K verticallybetween each pair of inner hangers H, the said piece presenting itsfront plate in the direction of motion of the machine and having thereintwo U-shaped slots L 'with their limbs upward, the upper ends of oneslot L being on a level with the upper sliding plates B, as shown inFig. 5, and the upper ends of the other slot L being on a level with thelower sliding plate. Each of these plates is provided with a laterallocking-stud M, travelin in the slot L which is on its level. l/Vhen t esaid sliding plates B and their axle-boxes and axles are in their mostoutward position, allowing for the greatest spread of the wheels, one ofthe studs M (see Fig. 5) will be in the left upper end of thecorresponding slot L and the other stud M will be in the right upper endof the other slot, these positions being reversed when the said slidingplates, axle-boxes, axles, and wheels are moved inward, adjusting thewheels to the narrower spread for the narrowgage track. Figs. 6 and 7show these pins and the parts locked thereby in the broadgage andnarrow-gage positions, respectively. This locking-piece, as shown inFig. 8, extends up between the sliding plates and bars I on each side ofthe axle-box, being vertically adjustable to a higher position in whichthe horizontal lower parts of the slots L are level with thebracing-studs M and allow the same to be moved along it from one limb ofeach slot to the other. To thus raise the locking-piece, a longitudinalcam-plate P, Figs. 3 and 4, is fixed in the middle of the track,tapering from its highest point, which is in the middle, downward toeach end. As the said piece rides up the incline of this camplate theslots L are lifted until the studs h pass down to the bottom of thelimbs of said slots, which they have occupied, and are ready to permitsaid studs to be moved along to the other limbs thereof. WVhen this isdone, the locking-piece drops again, having then passed the highestpoint of its travel on the camplate, and the other limb of each slot Lslides down past the appropriate stud M until the latter is in the upperlimb of said slot and the wheels are locked in their narrower or broaderposition, as the case maybe. The top of this box-form locking-piece isprevented from falling below the position indicated in Fig. 5. The workof shifting the wheels, axles, and appurtenances from one of saidpositions to the other is done by wheel-shifting flanges N, curved incross-section, fastened to the inner sides of the ordinary track-rails,and forming grooves between them and the tread. Since the rails at the.point of change are set to taper, as shown in Fig. 3, and the flangesof the wheels travel in the grooves formed as above,

the wheels will be moved gradually toward each other, while their travelis from left to right, Fig. 3, and moved gradually away from each otherwhile traveling in the opposite direction. The parts of the rails towhich the flanges are attached, their wheel-shifting flanges, and thecam-plate are all adapted to each other with respect to length,position, and general construction to insure the gradual shifting of thewheels from one position to the other as soon as the locking-piece K isbrought into position, as aforesaid, to allow such motion. The sameprocedure is repeated with each pair of wheels and axles.

Having thus descrih ed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure byLett'ers Patent, is-

1. In combination with a pair of wheels for railway rolling-stock, apair of independent axles for said wheels adapted to be moved outwardand inward in changii'ig the spread of the wheels, a vertically-mrwahlelockingpiece provided with U-sliaped grooves, locking parts shiftingwith said axles and traveling in said grooves, means for automaticallylifting the said locking-piece to allow the shifting of said parts fromone locking position to another and means for automatically shifting thesaid wheels, axles and, locking parts sulstantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a pair of wheels for railway rolling stock,independent axles therefor, axle-boxes movable inwardly and outwardlywith said axles and wheels, to vary the spread of the wheels, means forlocking said wheels, axles and axle-boxes in either one of two positionsof such spread, a verticallymovable box-form angularly-slottedlockingpiece and a fixed cam-plate arranged to lift said locking-piecefor automatically unlockingthe said axle-boxes, axles and wheels andmeans for automatically shifting the wheels and parts moving therewithinto the other position for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with track-rails arranged to taper from one gage toanother, flanges attached thereto and adapted to engage caravheels so asto move them inward or outward, a cam-plate arranged in the trackbetween and parallel with the said flanges and inclining from its middledown to its ends, a vertically-nlovable locking-piece suspended from acar or other rolling-stock and adapted to engage the inclined face ofthis cam-plate and ride up the same, being lifted thereby, a pair ofwheels and their axles and axle-boxes movable inward and outward by theaction of said flanges, and a part carried by an attachment of saidaxle-boxes and engaging said locking-piece to lock the said wheelsagainst such movement but ar ranged to be freed by such lifting of thesaid locking-piece substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a pair of inner axleboxes, a pair of axles and apair of wheels for rolling-stock, all movingtogether, with slidingplates arranged above and below the said axle-boxes, attached theretoand thus moving therewith, locking-studs on the said plates, a slottedlocking-piece engaging the said studs and means for automatically movingthe said locking-piece out of locking position substantially as setforth.

5. The combination of an inwardly and outwardly movable axle and itsouter axle box with inner stiffening-bars and arched stiffening-pieces,permitting such outward .movement of the said box substantially as setforth.

6. The combination of an axle for rollingstock with a divided axlebox'and bushings and bolts and springs holding said divided parts togetherwith resilient pressure on the journal of the said axle substantially asset forth.

7. The combination of an axle-box for railway rolling-stock with meansfor moving the same outward and inward to vary the spread of the wheels,an axle and wheel moving with said box, a pair of sliding platesarranged above and below the said box, means for holding the said platesto said box, springs interposed between the said plates and the said boxand suspending devices for the said box and plates, permitting thelatter to slide in contact with them substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with an axle and wheel, an axle-box and its bushingdivided into sections, bolts connecting the said box-sections, springsset into recesses of said box-sections and located between them and thebolt-heads for the purpose of pressing the said sections of bushingagainst the axle-journal substantially as set forth. v

9. In combination with the axle-boxes of a truck or bogie, an under barK extending from one of said axle-boxes to another on the same side ofthe bogie, a surface-plate I resting on one of the ends of the saidunder bar above one of the said axle-boxes and a spring L interposedbetween the bottom of the bogieframe and the downwardly-bent middle partof the said bar near the end of the latter which is held by the saidplate substantially as set forth.

10. In combination with a b0 ie-frame, the hangers F and H depending terefrom, the inner axle-boxes supported by said hangers, the slidingplates B attached to said boxes at the top and bottom thereof andmovable in and out with them in said hangers, means for thus moving thesaid boxes and plates inward or outward, axles and wheels moving withthe said axle-boxes, brace-bars 1 extending transversely of said hangersand connected thereto, a box-form locking-piece movable verticallybetween the inner hangers H, also between plates B and bars I,andprovided with U-shaped slots L, studs movable in said slots with thesaid axleboxes and plates, and means for automatically raising the saidlocking-piece to free the said studs substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

11. In combination with a bogie-frame and axle-boxes, axles and wheelsadjustable inward and outward to vary the spread of the wheels, thedivided bars 0 extending lengthwise of the frame, receiving theaxleboxes between their integral portions and slotted at O to permittheir movement outward and inward with said boxes, brakespindlesextending transversely of the frame through said slots and elongated atthe ends to permit such movement of said bars, and brake-shoes mountedon said spindles and movable with said bars toward and from the wheelssubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES CHARLES HINTON.

